Planning and Zoning approves apartment complex, shopping center

Published 4:35 pm, Monday, April 16, 2012

The addition of an outdoor shopping center and an apartment complex could be on the way after the Planning and Zoning Commission approved them Monday.

In two votes, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved zone changes that could pave the way for an about 300-unit apartment complex on the west side of Tradewinds Boulevard and for an outdoor shopping area off of Loop 250 near Blue Ridge Apartments.

"We need housing desperately," said Galen Gatten, commissioner.

A specific site plan for the proposed apartment complex -- which would sit just north of Business 20 -- will come before the commission in the coming weeks. For now, the developer asked for approval to construct a complex with a density of as much as 24 units per acre. The city's zoning calls for a density of 16 units per acre, though other exceptions have been granted in recent years, city staff said.

If Tradewinds Boulevard is extended south and another access point is added, commissioners said such a high density might not be a problem for the proposed complex.

However, with the roads in their present condition, 300 apartment units next to the 96-unit complex that recently opened in that area would mean a lot of traffic in the Gateway Plaza area, said Commissioner Jane Wolf.

"Believe me, I'm in favor of more housing," she said. "Ten years from now, whether this kind of density will be a good idea is hard to judge."

Commissioners agreed the density could be reviewed when a site plan is submitted and after the city conducts a traffic study. To allow the developer to go forward in crafting specific plans, they voted to approve the proposal as requested.

Max Richardson, civil engineer at the West Company, said the developer plans to start construction as soon as they move through the zoning and site review stages with the city. It's estimated construction of the complex would take about eight months, he said.

In a separate vote, commissioners approved zoning that will allow for a shopping center off of Loop 250, just east of Billingsley Boulevard.

The lot that sits near the Blue Ridge Apartments has been zoned for retail since 1991 but has never been developed, said Jim Compton, senior planner with the city.

Ron Childress, of Graco Real Estate in Lubbock, said his firm wants to build an about 50,000 square foot open-air shopping center that would feature glass store fronts, brick, stucco, stone and other materials.

He said they are in the process of signing leases with some retailers but can't yet announce what stores will go into the center.

Childress showed a rendering of the shopping area and said the complex will be a multi-tenant center accessed primarily through a roundabout built just off of the loop.

Two pad sites intended for restaurant development also are planned next to the shopping center, he said. The Planning and Zoning Commission has yet to consider those sites.

Compton said the shopping complex would include 412 parking spaces and a maximum building height of 33.5 feet, which is slightly higher than is called for in the city's code.

Instead of planting the 48 trees required for the 6.61-acre tract, Childress has agreed to plant 26 trees and make a donation to the Parks Endowment Fund of $300 for every tree not planted below the 48 required.

He said they don't want trees to block storefronts and feel the 26 planned for will be sufficient.

-- Commissioners approved a zone change that will allow for the addition of storage units on the south side of East Loop 250 between Cynthia and Kniffen drives. Some neighbors expressed concerns about traffic and the addition of a non-residential structure.

However, commissioners said transitional structures, such as storage units, have been added in more than one place on Loop 250 between the road and housing. Milton Larry, who owns the property, said he will use neutral colors and develop in phases.

-- Commissioners approved a request by Mark Payne for a one-year extension of his preliminary plat for the Stonebridge Addition, which is a neighborhood at the northeast corner of Loop 250 and Lamesa Road. The development has been started but Payne wanted to keep the preliminary plat in place during construction.